Friday, January 12, 2007

Leek Fritters: An amazing recipe, followed by a food blogger's worst nightmare

I cooked something gloriously delicious last night - A gluten-free adaptation of a Sephardic leek fritters, known in Greek as Prassokeftedes or Keftikes de Prassa. The recipe this is based on is by Chef Kate, a user on RecipeZaar. These are traditional for Passover in many mediterranean Jewish families, who make them with matzo meal. Because I used breadcrumbs (Ener-G brand), this recipe isn't kosher for Passover. However, you should be able to replace the breadcrumbs with additional egg and some potato starch to help keep the patties together during Pesach. I served them with Green Olive Relish, a recipe from RecipeZaar user Jewelies. You might also try making a tzatziki sauce to drizzle over the fritters.

Where does the ominous-sounding Food Blogger's Worst Nightmare part of the story come in? Well, just as I finished arranging these dishes on some lovely new plates I just bought... The screen on my digital camera went blank. My precious camera is broken, and I'm fairly sure it is beyond repair. It is definitely no longer covered under warranty. I could have cried - But instead, I suddenly realized that I have a brand new camera phone! G-d bless cell phone technology - At least I can give you a general sense of what these look like. Make these fritters, and I promise you'll forget about the terrible photographs!

Trim and carefully wash leeks, removing the dark green part but leaving the white and light green areas. Go between the outer layers to remove sand and dirt. Slice in half lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise.

Add one teaspoon of salt to about 1 1/2 quarts of water in a pot. There should be enough water to cover potatoes by at least two inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until soft (approximately 10 minutes).

Drain in colander, then place in large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Place the sliced leeks in a steamer basket over boiling water. Steam for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Add the leeks to mashed potatoes. Stir in eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2" of olive oil. When it is very hot, use a spoon to drop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time into the oil. Flatten a little with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden-brown (about 3 to 4 minutes) and then flip. As you finish each batch, use a slotted spatula to move them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve.